Degrassi Junior High: Going Up in Flames
by MaddyClark
Summary: The Degrassi Story begins again following the lives of a couple 8th graders and their issues. Stay tuned :D
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

_**Monday: Introductions**_

**Maddy's POV:**

Zae pushes her nose closer to my face, "Did you hear we're getting a new student in our class? Then you wouldn't be the newest." She says. I smile broadly; I was tired of all the glances I would get from nosey students.

"When will we meet them?" I ask curiously. The only reason I expected Zae to know was because she was the homeroom teacher, Mr. Finchini's daughter, so she knew everything. Zae taps her chin lightly and then sets it down on the wooden, first period desk.

"I think my dad said in about a week." I bite my lip, hoping the student wouldn't be another school snob like Sarah, while she had never targeted me, I didn't like to witness the bullying.

"Boy or girl?" I ask excitedly.

"Boy." _Thank god! _

"He better be cute. I'm tired of all the immature 8th graders." Zae says. The bell rings, and the whole class sits in their seats.

**Zack's POV:**

Mr. Gordon, the school's gym teacher, had taken me out of class again. "Zack! Take the shot!" He shouts at me from the three pointer line. I arch up my hand, jumping off the glazed, wooden ground and shooting the ball into the hoop.

"Great job Zack!" Mr. Gordon cheers. I wipe my sweat, matted red hair as I walk over to the bleachers where my Gatorade sat.

"Coach, you can't keep pulling me out of class. My grades are slipping in Science." I say, after gulping down the cold refreshment. This skipping class thing had begun last year when I took the winning shot, now, a month into school and I had only made about three or four science classes.

"Zack, I told you. You have great potential. So what if your grades slip in one class? You have wonderful grades in your other classes." Mr. Gordon then claps his hands, "Let's practice that shot one more time."

**Zae's POV:**

I bite down on the end of my pencil, nibbling on my eraser as I look over the questions. _How am I supposed to know any of this?_ The quiz timer starts to ring and Mrs. Dingily begins to collect the papers. When she gets to me, she looks over the unfilled bubbles with dismay. "Zae, you can't keep doing this."

"But Mrs. Dingily…" I begin, poking out my lips.

"No buts, have you ever considered a student tutor?" She suggests, flipping through last week's tests. "Ah, here we go. Zack Chambers. He's an 'A' average and is very helpful." My face turns pink and I nod my head eagerly. _I would just love to be taught by Zack._

"Good. I'll inform him." Mrs. Dingily says as she turns on her heel. I turn behind me to look at Madeline who was looking at me with her large dark brown eyes curiously.

"Zack's going to be my tutor!" I whisper excitedly. Madeline processes this for a moment before bouncing in her seat.

"It's fate!" she says happily. The bell rings and we get up from our seats, chatting excitedly before we split ways.

**Maddy's POV:**

I was on my way to lunch, passing by the principal's office when suddenly, I walked right into the parent and child exiting the office. I keep my head down after catching a glimpse of the dark headed boy who stood in front of me. "S-sorry." I say meekly, his hazel eyes seemingly piercing into me.

"Asher-say something." His mother says, elbowing him softly.

"It's fine." He says, seemingly indifferent, walking past me. His mother spares me a kind smile before walking after her son. I turn the corner into the loud cafeteria, the smell of hotdogs familiar to me. I take a seat at a crowded lunch table, sitting next to Zae who was talking to her crush Zack about something.

"So how about tonight?" Zae asks Zack. _I guess they are talking about studying. _I don't interrupt them, but instead start munching on my pizza as they continued to talk. _They are so cute together. _Both of their eyes were on me and briefly, I thought they had read my thoughts.

"Madeline, Zack wants to know if we'd like to hang out after school." Zae repeats. For the second time today, I say sorry for being in my own world.

"Sure." I say.

My eyes trace over the dance poster, it would be happening in about a month and while a part of me knew it would be fun, another part of me didn't feel like going. _But who knows…things always change. _I think as I pull out my backpack from my tiny locker. My theory was proven when I saw Zack and Zae walking arm in arm down the hallway. _Things always change. _Zae smiles innocently at me, "You coming?" she says. I smile and then take a deep breath, preparing myself for something I don't do often, lie.

"No, I, uh…something came up." While Zack looked convinced or just oblivious, Zae knew I was lying. But she was grateful as she walked off that I was giving her and her new boyfriend some alone time.

**Zae's POV:**

It happened so quickly, one second we were talking about homework and next about dating. "How about some apple pie from The Dot?" Zack suggests. I squeeze his hand which was wrapped around mine.

"Sure." I couldn't help but get lost in his blue eyed gaze whenever he looked at me. He leans in to kiss me, and I put a hand in front of my lips. Even I had a pace when it came to relationships.

"Something wrong?" He says, his lips making a tiny 'O' shape.

"Nothing. Just that I want to wait a little before we kiss." I say. Zack nods and we cross the street.

**Maddy's POV:**

While I need fresh air, I wanted to avoid Zack and Zae for the day. I didn't want to screw up their first 'date'. _They probably are at The Dot so I'll just head somewhere far from there. _I think as I walk down a street unfamiliar to me, followed by another and another. As I looked around, I saw the boy from earlier, watching me from his porch as I scurried randomly. _Gosh darn! How come I didn't notice this earlier? _I bite my lip before hesitantly turning in his direction. I swallow my nervousness.

"Uh, could you tell me the way to Rosemary Street?" The boy who his mother called 'Asher' looks puzzled before coming off of his porch and next to me.

"Repeat?" He says.

"Could you give me directions to Rosemary Street?"

Without even having to think he says simply, "Left, left, right."

I blink a couple of times, "Okay I think I've got it. Uh…thank you." I say walking.

"Wait." Asher says. I turn around slowly, wondering what he would have to say to me.

"Aren't you the girl from earlier?" I smile lightly, "Yeah, next time, I'll be looking where I'm going."

Asher raises an eyebrow and sarcastically says, "Why do I feel like you won't?" I can't help but smile and laugh lightly.


	2. Chapter 2: Break Up

_**Tuesday**_

_**Wednesday **_

_**Thursday**_

_**Friday: Break Up**_

**Zack's POV:**

It had been two days since Zae and I had gotten together, my fondness for her seeming to have waned slightly. To be honest, we didn't have much to talk about that crossed the friendship lines, nothing that said 'this is my girlfriend.' To any outsider who did not know of our relationship status, we just looked like old friends catching up. That's why, today, I have decided to break it off. I wanted to begin anew, starting as friends with Zae and then working my way up.

Zae grabs my hands, and I shake them loose. "What's wrong Zack?" She asks. I close my eyes and lips tightly.

"Zae, I like you." I say.

She smiles, "Well didn't we establish that?" she says.

"But, I think we should end it. I want our relationship to…have a base." I say, planning my words carefully.

Zae looks down and then nods her head, "Okay." _She took that more easily than I thought. _The bell for 4th period rings.

"Well I'll see you at lunch." I say awkwardly walking away.

**Maddy's POV:**

It was oddly quiet at the lunch table. "Everything okay?" I ask.

Zae and Zack avoid eye contact but simultaneously say, "Mhm." Through the bites of their nachos. _Did they break up? _Looking up at the clear glass windows, I saw Asher and his mother scanning the cafeteria. He catches my eye, smirks at me and then walks out of the school, a backpack not even on his back. A thought then occurs to me as I bite into my pizza, _what if Asher is the new student? I mean, why else would he be checking out the 8__th__ grade lunch period? It would make sense; why else would he leave without a backpack._

After school, Zae had begged me to come along with her and load the bus. I sit next to Zae and Zack sits behind us. Turning my body so I faced both of them to an extent, I sigh. "Did you guys break up?" I say, finally voicing my most reoccurring thought. Zae grabs a pencil from her backpack and nervously begins chewing at the end.

"Just for now." Zack admits.

My dark brown eyes widen in shock, a mixture of emotion apparent on my face, "How come you didn't tell me?" I say, poking out my top lip, a habit I had done since I was young to express being upset.

"Aw, Mads!" Zack says, using his annoying nickname.

"I was waiting for later." Zae says. A sudden jerk of the bus makes us jump.

"Eepskies!" I say, as my head bangs against the seat.

"I wish this ride wasn't so bumpy." I say, recovering quickly. Zae smiles, giving me a hug for no reason.

"Just because we're not dating doesn't mean I can't hug you." Zack says, positioning himself over the seat so he can hug us.

Lying back on my bed, Zae carefully swipes the nail polish brush over her toe nail. "Why don't you sleepover my place tonight?" she asks.

I was scrubbing my nail furiously with the nail polish remover, "Sure. Sounds like fun." There was a light tap or two on the door before it opens. _What was the point of knocking? _I think jokingly. My mother stands there, wearing her long black skirt and a white tank top, her copper hair falling over her light brown shoulders.

"Hey mom." She waltzes around the room, a smile playing at her lips.

"Why aren't you wearing your glasses?" She asks. If my mind could internally roll its eyes-it would. I bite my lip, smiling.

"Because…you have them." She drops the red glasses with the silver flowers on the side onto my bed next to me.

"I have them because you had left them in the bathroom again." She informs. Mentally, I slap a hand to my forehead. _I must have not of taken them out of the basket when I got out of the shower. _I would always put it in the little basket whenever I got in the shower. Picking the glasses up from off the bed, I stick them on my face after cleaning them with my shirt.

"Thanks. By the way, can I sleepover Zae's house?" I ask. My mother takes a glance around the room, her eyes landing on me.

"Make your bed and fold your nightclothes. Then you can sleepover her house." She says. I smile broadly, teeth and all.

"Alrighty! Thanks mom." My mother exits the room and I begin toying with my covers till they are neatly placed upon my mattress. Zae was on the floor, carefully trying not to get nail polish from her newly done nails on my PJ's as she folded them.

"There." I say before I begin packing my bag.


End file.
